Peter Reid
Central Midfielder · Bolton Wanderers · England
About Peter Reid
Peter Reid is one of Everton's greatest ever players and the midfield engine of Howard Kendall's Everton sides that won two First Division titles and an FA Cup in the mid-1980s. He was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1985 — one of the best individual seasons by an English midfielder of that era — and played for England at the 1986 World Cup. His image of relentless effort, combativeness, and leadership defines Everton's golden age.
Peter Reid's story
Huyton's Engine
Reid was born in Huyton, on the edge of Liverpool (ENG), and joined Bolton Wanderers as a teenager. Everton signed him for £60,000 in 1982 — after he had experienced serious injury — and he became the midfield fulcrum of Howard Kendall's most successful team. His combination of ball-winning, simple distribution, and relentless effort was the foundation on which Everton's stylish attacking players could perform.
1985
The 1984-85 season was Reid's finest individual year — Everton won the First Division title by 13 points and the European Cup Winners' Cup, Reid was voted PFA Players' Player of the Year, and he was called into the England squad. He represented the textbook of what a central midfielder should be: protect the defence, win the ball, give it simply, get forward when the moment allows.
The Manager
Reid became a football manager after retiring, taking Sunderland (ENG) from the First Division to the Premier League and establishing them as a mid-table Premier League club across six seasons. He is considered one of English football's better coaches of the 1990s and 2000s — building teams on the same principles he played: effort, organisation, and collective discipline.
Did you know?
- 🥇 He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1985 — voted by fellow professionals — the highest peer recognition in English football, and a reflection of how completely his midfield mastery was respected by opponents.
- 🏆 He won two First Division titles, an FA Cup, and a European Cup Winners' Cup with Everton — the most decorated period in the club's history — as the midfield engine that made the team's attacking quality possible.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Susan; they have children. He settled in the Manchester area.
- 💪 He suffered serious injury before Everton signed him and was written off by several clubs — making his subsequent PFA award and two league titles one of professional football's great comeback stories.
- 🌟 Howard Kendall said: "Peter Reid was Everton's engine. Without him, we don't win the league. Without him, we don't win in Europe. He was the first name on my team sheet every week."
- 🎓 After retiring, he managed Sunderland for six seasons — taking them from the First Division to Premier League stability — reflecting management principles based on the same work ethic and organisation that defined his playing career.
- 📊 He was called into the England squad for the 1986 World Cup and played in Mexico — representing England at the highest individual tournament in football, despite having only 13 senior international caps.
- 🏟️ He made 234 appearances for Everton in all competitions — the most important years of his career — from 1982 to 1989, covering the full span of the club's golden era under Howard Kendall.
- 🤝 His midfield partnership with Paul Bracewell at Everton — Reid winning the ball, Bracewell distributing, both covering the defensive line — is considered the finest central midfield pairing in the club's history.
Honours
- First Division x2: Everton (1985, 1987)
- FA Cup: Everton (1984)
- European Cup Winners' Cup: Everton (1985)
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1985 — voted by fellow professionals
- FA Charity Shield x2: Everton (1984, 1985)
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